Teshik-Tash

At an altitude of about 1,500 meters above sea level in the Baysuntau mountains in the Surkhandarya region, there is a world–famous archaeological monument of the primitive Mousterian culture (100 – 40 thousand years BC) - the Teshik-Tash cave grotto, discovered in the 30s of the XX century by the local historian G. V. Parfenov.

As a result of excavations in a cave 20 meters wide, 21 meters deep and 9 meters high, led by archaeologist academician A. P. Okladnikov, 5 cultural layers with a total thickness of 1.5 meters were examined, in the center of each of which traces of one or more bonfires are visible.

In the upper layer, the remains (skull and some bones) of a Neanderthal child (according to recent studies, a girl) of 8-10 years old were found surrounded by skeletons of several different animals and birds, as well as mountain goat horns dug into the ground strictly in a circle, which may indicate the similarity of a ritual rite during the burial of the dead among Neanderthals.

Later, the Soviet anthropologist M. M. Gerasimov reconstructed the child's appearance and kept it in the Termez Museum.

Also, 2,859 stone tools were found in the cultural layers, which were obviously used as scrapers and knives for butchering animals and other household needs.
Teshik-Tash Grotto is located in a narrow canyon near the village of Yukary-Machai. It's not so easy to find him, you need a local guide.